


In Somnis Veritas

by Ella Symphony (LaurenX)



Series: Temet Nosce [1]
Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Emotions, Hurt/Comfort, It just isn't the focus, Multi, Nah it's there, Nightmares, Pain and trauma is, Romance if you squint, Trauma, andy-centric, mentions of abuse, midnight talks, no beta we die like men, past bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 09:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17557988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaurenX/pseuds/Ella%20Symphony
Summary: Mesonoxian/mɛsə(ʊ)ˈnɒkʃ(ə)n/Adjective—Of or relating to midnight.It's tempting to listen to what she says and walk away, leaving her to her own devices per her own request, but that'd taste as sour as a ripe lemon and he'd never been a fan of the lingering bitterness on his tongue.He would've smiled, had the night not felt like the last hours before midnight for Cinderella. Skyler had always said he seemed like someone who'd take honey over Airheads any day.





	In Somnis Veritas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StruckerSiblings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StruckerSiblings/gifts).



> Alternative summary: Where I take advantage of their chemistry and completely make up Naya's backstory.

_"You are damaged and broken and unhinged. But so are shooting stars and comets.”_

_―Nikita Gill_

 

As of late, Andy hated going to sleep, no matter when or where he did. His sleep was always plagued with horrible dreams of remembrance, echoing with taunting words and bruising grips, always complemented by the shiver-inducing laughter and the frigid water streaming down his back, followed by the snarls and the drastic change to boiling waterfalls. Eventually, the dreams were chased away by his mother's gentle call of "It's time to wake up, Andy," but unbeknownst to everyone else, Andy always awoke with sweat soaking his body and forcing his hair and clothes to stick to his body, while his gaze was terrified and he trembled horribly. He'd gotten good at keeping his reactions at bay, lest his family realize the monsters that tormented him as soon as he closed his eyes, but sometimes, Andy could feel eyes he was slowly growing familiar to, and he could swear that though no one knew, _they_ did.

Little over a few days later—he was proved appallingly right.

•••

 _Crack!_ The tile was shattered into dust with a loud crash, falling to the ground and staining the air quietly; nimble fingers retracted from the spot besides where the brick had sailed through air before it'd been destroyed, falling to their owner's side. Andy bit back a grin when the ground didn't shake and he didn't feel the usual rage consume his soul, lungs free to breathe. It was almost surreal. Unconsciously, his hazel eyes met Lorna's own, finding an unfamiliar sort of pride residing there, and her usual smirk was replaced by a softer, warmer smile. She nodded when he raised his eyebrows in a silent question, and he looked down, the smile he'd tried to hold back peeking out. Lorna shook her head fondly and reached down to retrieve another brick.

Andy was surprised when he heard two chuckles on either side of him; he was more shocked by how familiar and somewhat comforting they felt. Naya stood on his left while Skyler was on his right, both upholding gentle expressions; Naya's was a warm, sweet curve of lips while her pearly whites popped out on her beautiful tan skin, while Skyler's was a more playful, fond grin that lit up his whole expression. Andy felt gratitude and affection bubble up in his chest as he gazed at his new friends. Skyler and Naya, while certainly not common or even social, were great; they were funny, friendly, they didn't pry and they also didn't think he was a monster, which at this point, was more than he could say about most people in his life. The train of thought almost managed to dampen the ridiculous joy his small success brought forth; Skyler's wink as he concentrated, eyebrows creasing with the amount of his focus, managed to keep the smile on Andy's face.

He stepped back and observed as his friends raised their hands, Naya's fluid movements reminding him of a hypnotic dance, while he connected Skyler's more jerky, rough movements to the sparks that arose when you first tried to use a lighter. As he lost himself in his head, an occurrence they were all used to by now, Lorna chucked a tile at Skyler; a light blue spray flew from his fingers as he grunted, and the tile met a similar fate to the previous one Lorna had thrown. Andy's smile widened; Naya and Lorna voiced their approval and Skyler lifted his hand, which Andy quickly high-fived him, winking and then they both turned to watch Naya, giving thumbs-up. This was normal training for them by now and there was no real reason for them to act like this, but there was an unspoken agreement that brought them to do it; after all, God knew they needed the support.

Lorna uttered a loud warning and threw the last tile for the day as the water from the vase they'd set besides the door rushed toward Naya, following her command; however, the atmosphere seemed to darken as the usual ease in her eyes turned into panic, and the concentration marking her features melted into horror. Her face contorted and her hands flew up to protect her face, water flying everywhere as her control over it wavered. The brick was still flying and Andy's breath hitched, realization finally dawning on him as his hand reflexively flew out, and the destructive powers flowed before he could stop them; he bit his lip in the split second when they collided against the brick, destroying it a second before it touched Naya, and for once, Andy's prayers had been heard, because the tremors he'd expected were limited only to his own hand. Shoulders sagging in relief, his trembling arm dropped to his side and he very nearly fell to his knees, which suddenly felt like overcooked noodles.

His eyes quickly flew to Naya as Skyler rushed to her side, hesitantly grasping her arms to pull them away from her face; she allowed it, like a lifeless shell, and her expression was so terrified, Andy had to join Skyler and gently touch her shoulders, frowning deeply. "Naya?" He said reluctantly, voice hoarse. Skyler continued where he let off. "You good? What happened?"

"I—" Naya tried to respond, staring at a spot behind Lorna, who had ran out of the room to get Caitlin—probably against her better judgement—as soon as the accident began. "I'm...fine." The cracks in her voice and emotion begging to be let out in her eyes nearly made Andy retort. He kept it in, though , which was mostly due to Skyler giving his friend a very pointed look. Belatedly, Andy realized how much they knew each other, despite the short time spent since they first met; he also realized that, when it came to the details, they knew next to nothing.

"Naya, we're here for you—" Skyler began after more than a minute of silent, only to be cut off as Naya roughly snatched her arms away from his purposely weak hold; a moment later, she stared at them with pained but cold eyes. Andy nearly recoiled, watching in shock as Naya walked out without another word. Skyler stumbled back a step or two and their shoulders brushed together, which would usually be worryingly electrifying, but now they both just stared at the spot where their friend once stood, beginning to realize that they were dripping wet; however, the water sliding down her hair from Naya's failure felt sad and heavy, staining their skin like the beginning of a story she couldn't escape, but was so desperate to, she'd almost pushed them into it with her.

When Caitlin and Lorna ran in two minutes later, Andy and Skyler were still where Naya had left them, standing motionless. But the biggest change were their sad, sad eyes, and how Skyler unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists, while Andy brushed his fingers over his own shoulder, like he was tracing a pattern.

Oh, _yes_. Everyone had stories. And apparently, Naya's haunted her even now. Andy's eyes flashed and he smiled bitterly, looking at his run-down shoes with hidden tears. Well...apparently, they all really were similar.

•••

 _A raw scream rang through tiled walls, which trembled minutely. Boiling hot water had just replaced the freezing stream coming from the shower head, and arms were chaining him down, grips aggressive enough to bruise; just more stories to tell with inky blotches on his skin, more tales he could never narrate and more pages to try to erase. It hurt, it hurt, it_ hurt. _He thrashed but the water was burning his skin and his throat was raw and it just hurt worse, but he kept trying, kicking his legs and losing himself in the haze of anger and pain and_ helplessness _. Why couldn't they just stop? Just what had he done to deserve this kind of torture? A particularly torturous scream came from his scorching throat and the walls shattered, the anger overwhelming everything else as he wept—_

Andy shot up like an arrow with a gasp, clutching at his sweaty sheets with trembling hands and fighting for breath desperately. His heart was beating out of his chest, lungs on fire as he looked around in a panicked haze; nothing was shaking, thank God, but the plastic glass besides his bed had definitely now seen better days, thanks to him. It was a crumpled mess, no doubt the subject of his unconscious torture; he unclenched his fists with a miserable look, finding them an angry red, but thankfully not bleeding. His nails hadn't caused as much damage tonight, which was a pleasant surprise; the wounds from his past night terrors had just begun to close up, so he was rather content he hadn't opened them again.

However, the mere thought of going back to sleep made him nauseous, vile rising up in his throat; it wasn't raw anymore, thank God, so he quickly rose on shaky legs, hesitating before grabbing the ruined glass and putting it under his bed. He didn't even bother to put on his shoes before carefully padding his way through the room he shared with his sister. Once at the door, he hesitated, sparing himself a moment to gaze at his sleeping sister; she looked exhausted even in sleep, healthy blond hair sprawled around her pillow in a nearly comical sight. Affection made his chest tight, a flaming desire to protect his only sister from this crooked world making his heart hard. With a fond look her way he opened the door, sneaking out before closing the door behind him, sighing in what might have been relief or fear. Allowing himself a few seconds to close his eyes, he took a deep breath and pushed off the door, pretending he didn't see laughing faces and malice behind his eyelids.

Andy walked down the empty halls of the Underground, concluding it was probably nearing midnight; the place felt strangely lonely at night, like not even ghosts or memories roamed the weathered building. Of course, he could hear a few voices and footsteps here and there, and he even caught a glimpse of a mutant or two, but mostly, he walked alone and it honestly didn't feel so bad. He'd always been a solitary person, which originally hadn't been his choice; it'd been a consequence from another choice that was out of his hands, which came in the shape of him being brutally bullied. When it began, it had been horrifying but somehow not surprising; every punch hurt and further shattered any possibility of Andy ever having friends or even acquaintances, which frankly sucked.

It gradually soured his mood and personality, making his words quiet but bitter; he couldn't pack a punch but he could take one, and he could both spit the venom and take the stab of poison. He slowly fell into what some might consider depression, finding solace only in a notebook and a pencil and drawing his brains out. The first time he'd done it, he'd gotten a callous so painful and big, he could hardly hold the pencil for school the next day. When he was exciting his first class, someone slammed his slumped and resigned form into the lockers, the crash ringing out. The abuse that was presented to his torso and mind after was something he ruminated on only when alone, because he knew for a fact his expression got dark and twisted, grin bitter and hateful and broken. So, he avoided it.

Unsurprisingly, that made people even more wary of him; when asked about the bullying on two occasions, he'd shrugged and twirled the finger he held on his fingers. He'd been drawing a broken glass, a sight he'd witnessed the night before, when bandaging a particular bad bruise had caused him to knock the glass over. "What about it?" He remembers saying quietly, with a cocked brow and a bitter smile. After that, no one asked; they'd all known and none of them had understood. He reached the lower floor, frowning in thought; not even Lauren. She hadn't understood a single bit of it, which had left him alone once again—alone, alone, _alone_. It was almost funny, since to Andy, 'alone' was the one word he could repeat a million times without it losing meaning.

With a deep sigh, Andy blinked back to life, yawning slightly and walking through the slightly sinous halls, unconsciously walking the familiar path to where Naya and Skyler had been situated. He jerked to a stop before rounding the corner that would lead him to his friends, brows furrowing in confusion; why had his feet led him here when his mind was _there_? It didn't make any sense, but then again, when the hell did anything ever make sense anymore? He sighed again, more frustrated, and ran a hand through his overgrown hair; it needed to be properly washed and cut, especially after today. The water Naya had soaked both him and Skyler in had led them to change after drying off, but it still left their hair pitifully messy. They'd let it be; they were still thoughtful over the accident.

Andy nearly growled in order to clear his head, practically speed-walking past the corner and into their "room". He froze almost immediately, breath hitching in his throat like it had what felt like days ago; the sight in front of him appealed to all of his emotions, quickly causing his fists to close up. What should he do?

Naya was hunched over on her bed, one hand covering her mouth to muffle what Andy knew were sobs, while her other hand clutched her hair and obscured her features. He swallowed as her slim frame trembled, and when he unconsciously took a step forward, he must've accidentally made some sort of sound, because her head snapped up and Andy's heart fell to his bare feet like a freaking brick. Her tan complexion was worryingly pale, the moonlight slipping through the barred windows making the tears relentlessly sliding her cheeks shine; her eyes were wide, like those of a dear caught in the headlights, and her lips were chapped and bruised, like she'd bit them long enough for them to show the abuse. Andy bit the inside of his lip and reluctantly shuffling forward, not finding the point in pretending he'd seen or heard nothing; now it was much too late. Still, that's not to say it didn't hurt when she turned her head away from him roughly, crawling back on her bed.

"Naya?" He called, managing something that was between a mumble and a whisper, "you, um, you okay?" A second later, Andy felt like physically slapping himself—what kind of bullshit question was _that_?

Naya didn't respond, turning further until she was almost completely facing away from him; Andy decided to ignore the hint and walk closer, only for Naya to finally speak, voice cold. "Andy, just leave."

He went stock-still, but made no move to follow her instructions. "Why?" He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. They felt cold and they hurt, so he felt ever so slightly safer that way.

Naya didn't seem amused by the question, whirling around to glare at him with teary brown eyes. Those usually soft, comforting eyes were now infused with frustration and pain and rage, causing her to reject what she would usually cherish. It hurt. Andy physically recoiled when she growled, "just leave it, Andrew," and then shuffled under her covers, which still shook conspicuously. Now _he_ wasn't amused.

Admittedly, it was pretty tempting to listen to what she says and walk away, leaving her to her own devices per her own request, but that'd taste as sour as a ripe lemon and he'd never been a fan of the lingering bitterness on his tongue.

He would've smiled, had the night not felt like the last hours before midnight for Cinderella. Skyler had always said he seemed like someone who'd take honey over Airheads any day. Speaking of which...

The boy in question lay on his bed peacefully, features calm and innocent as they rarely were, and his shaggy brown hair was messy on the thin pillow. A smile almost grew on Andy's lip, but even in the somehow heartwarming sight wasn't quite enough to push away the insane worry that had consumed his brain in only a few minutes, which was heightened by how bad he felt about what he would do next. He was ridiculous, Andy concluded as he gritted his teeth and put a hand out, scowling with determination; his familiar, comforting and exhilarating power radiated, shaking Skyler's bed just enough before letting go sharply, exhaling as the boy shot up, alarmed.

He looked around in panic, getting out of bed, but only succeeding in crashing to the ground as he ended up tangled in his own covers. Under different circumstances, Andy would've laughed, but now he just felt bad and doubly concerned. He rushed forward and held out a hand as Skyler rubbed the back of his head, mumbling and looking up at Andy in resentment.

"What's the big idea, man?" He complained quietly, accepting the hand before letting go with a glare. Andy blinked and frowned. Why were people being so rude to him tonight?

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and tugged slightly, focusing not on himself but quickly pointing to Naya's bed. Skyler stopped mumbling long enough to catch some drift of the situation, and as he was about to speak, Andy walked right past him, standing besides Naya's bed.

"So, I, um—I know you want us to leave and all, but I..." He steeled his resolve and straightened his posture. If he didn't raise the stakes...there was no way he'd ever gain. "I won't. I won't leave, 'cause...um, even if you have demons, so do we. We won't, uh, judge or anything; we also won't leave. All I'm asking is, ah...follow me?" The last bit came out for like a question than anything else, but despite all the stupid interjections, Andy thought it could've been worse.

When Skyler padded to his side, squeezing his shoulder, he looked stunned; Andy was pretty sure he'd never spoken this much to...well, _anyone_ —since he came to the Underground, or even for a while before that. His solitude really did seem to stretch endlessly.

For a while, silence prevailed, like an immortal foe immune to wounds or battle. Then, with a muffled sob and the quiet rustling of sheets, Naya emerged from her fabric castle, head bowed as she stepped off her bed. She didn't look up and she was shivering. "Fine."

Andy nearly beamed, grabbing her blanket and Skyler's before grabbing their hands, not realizing just what he was doing because of his excitement. Both boy and girl looked confused if a little embarrassed, with some side dish of sadness for Naya, but they didn't protest and Andy didn't notice. Instead, he speed-walked, dragging them with him until they kept up; as he led them through stairs and halls, footsteps quiet, the crying girl exchanged a bemused look with Skyler, who simply smiled and shrugged helplessly. _Go with it._

As it turned out, there was some method in Andy's madness. Eventually he led them to what was called the roof, where the air was crisp and carrying the chill of approaching winter, especially for their bare feet; despite their varying sizes, the only similarity was the fact they'd all forgone shoes. Andy dropped their hands with a sheepish smile and motioned around. "So, um, I know having nightmares or—or flashbacks sucks, but...this place is pretty cool. So, maybe it could help...?"

Naya was still crying, even as she stood in front of them both on a roof, but she smiled with heartbreak and nodded, endeared. "It means a lot. Let's try it." Andy's smile was face splitting, and Skyler ruffled his hair fondly with an eye-roll, getting a playful glare.

The girl they were trying to comfort, anger now gone, sat down on the ground of the roof quietly and snatched her blanket away from Andy's hands with a pout, wrapping it around her shoulders and feebly wiping away the tears on her cheeks; they'd regained some color over the time spent walking, so her condition didn't seem as grave anymore, but the blotchy red spots under her eyes and how they looked so crestfallen immediately ruined the illusion. Skyler and Andy barely exchanged a nervous glance before sitting besides her, with Andy in the middle. They also wasted no time sharing Skyler's blanket; the night was pretty chilly, which made them all think it'd been a bad idea to come here without shoes or even socks, but oh well. Andy supposed that the warmth of his friends on either side of him was more than enough...

For a while, there was silence, broken only by the slight sniffles Naya let out every now and then. The night sky felt so very sad tonight; like the less shiny stars were freckles in its complexion and the brightest were weeping tears, while the moon was the remaining silver eye that had seen too much to remain full. It made Andy sigh, his own loneliness creeping in even now. A wave of cold air assaulted their vicinity; Naya shivered slightly and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, shuffling closer to Andy for warmth. Skyler, much to Andy's amusement and maybe a bit of anxiety, didn't hesitate to follow suit.

Just as Andy began to wring his hands, stupidly yearning for the weight of a pencil between his fingers, wood against his calluses, Naya spoke in a quiet, sad tone. "He used to throw things at me."

Both Skyler and Andy stared at the side of her head with confusion, which shifted to dread once they caught drift of the beginning of the implications; Naya didn't turn to look at them, staring at the moon with melancholy. "He'd throw books, bottles...pictures, if I was lucky. Though I rarely was, now that I think about it," she mumbled thoughtfully, a wry smile curling on her sad expression.

 _Books. Bottles. Pictures, if she was lucky...just who the fuck was so dead-set on harming her in any way they could?_ Andy's blood heated up, anger flooding his eyes like he'd been injected, but he prided himself in the fact that his powers didn't react. Instead, he bit his tongue until the metallic taste of blood was pungent in his mouth and listened. Besides him, Skyler grabbed Andy's wrist from where it lay on the ground, curling his fist around it painfully hard. Neither of them were pleased, then.

"He also used his hands, though...there's a reason I hate foundation. But...he seemed to take the most pleasure in dunking my head underwater. I guess it was because he was turning my strength against me." After that, Naya's eyes dropped to her hands, brown orbs red and wide and lacking innocence.

Without thinking, Andy bit the inside of his lip and reached for her left hand, which he immediately realized was shaking. This drew Naya's attention. "He was a douche," he said resolutely, gazing into her sad eyes. "And a monster," Skyler added gruffly. "He was cruel," Naya agreed. Then, Skyler grabbed her free hand, squeezing. "But he's gone, too," he said softly, and Naya clenched her jaw. "I know that," she whispered shakily, frustrated instead of angry. "But the dreams and the flashbacks, they—"

"They aren't?" Andy finished for her, both sympathetic and bitter. He gave her a rueful grin. "So are mine. They bite and they linger, like those guys really are here..." Much like he had after training, Andy brushed his fingertips over his own shoulder absently. "And I still feel it. And I'm still scared shitless. But...okay, this is hypocritical, but shutting us out isn't gonna help."

"It is hypocritical," both Naya and Skyler quipped at the same time, giving him a very pointed glare, which then melted into reluctant hope, in Naya's case. "Guys, I don't wanna burden. And besides...it isn't exactly something you can fix, you know?" She bit her lip.

Skyler frowned. "Fix?" He shook his head, "nah. Not how it goes. Something like that...I don't think it can be fixed. But we can try to help, or at least, support. Because I think that's what friends are for." At his thoughtful statement, Andy and Naya exchanged wide-eyed glances before bursting out in incredulous laughter.

Their friend gaped, clearly offended, as Andy managed to sputter; "You've gotten wise," much to Skyler's slight chagrin. Then, the laughter faded away, and two hands—one overly pale and calloused, while the other had tiny moles and some scratches born from climbing—were held out to Naya, along with a soft smile and a wide grin. Naya stared at both hands, and shakily reached out with both of her own, trembling from head to toe; before she grabbed her friends' hands, she hesitated. A few tears slid down her face and Andy mumbled quietly. "We're here. It isn't just a dream, but...we can try to make it be."

She grabbed their hands and turned her head to bury it in Andy's shoulder, tears filtering through the blanket and his hoodie; _it's okay_ , he thought, squeezing her hand and putting his chin on her head, feeling Skyler rest his head on his free shoulder and gently caress Naya's hand. She sobbed and sobbed, crying and rocking against him, but never once letting go of their hands. Andy stared at the stars coating the sky gently and now saw them shaping a trembling grin that hesitated to trust, but reluctantly hoped.

Faintly, Andy realized that time had passed, and it must be around midnight now. _No_. He shook his head, smiling at his friends, warmth bubbling up in his chest and he squeezed their hands and dropped a kiss on either head without thinking. He wouldn't take it back, and they didn't complain, snuggling closer. Midnight had passed. It was a new day, in the worst but best of ways. Andy felt two peoples' gentle breathing on his collarbone. He would have another dream tonight, and he'd wake up feeling like shit in the morning, and probably so would Naya.

But now, they could try, couldn't they?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Well, this is my first time publising anything here in AO3, so I hope you like it and aren't too harsh on me, haha. I'd love to receive some constructive criticism, because I'd love to improve! Also, big thanks to my Tumblr buddy. Ya know who you are, honey pie. I hope you're proud!


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